Dhekelia (2007) | Bassas da India (2005) | |
Area | total: 130.8 sq km
note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves |
total: 0.2 sq km
land: 0.2 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC | about one-third the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area. | This atoll is a volcanic rock surrounded by reefs and is awash at high tide. A French possession since 1897, it was placed under the administration of a commissioner residing in Reunion in 1968. |
Capital | name: Episkopi Cantonment; located in Akrotiri
geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
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Climate | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters | tropical |
Coastline | 27.5 km | 35.2 km |
Constitution | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960 | - |
Country name | conventional long form: Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Dhekelia |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bassas da India |
Dependency status | overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus | possession of France; administered by the Administrateur Superieur of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | - |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | - |
Disputes - international | - | claimed by Madagascar |
Economy - overview | Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Dhekelia. All food and manufactured goods must be imported. | no economic activity |
Elevation extremes | - | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 2.4 m |
Environment - current issues | netting and trapping of small migrant songbirds in the spring and autumn | NA |
Exchange rates | Cypriot pounds per US dollar - 0.46019 (2006), 0.4641 (2005), 0.4686 (2004), 0.5174 (2003), 0.6107 (2002) | - |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY (since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch |
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Flag description | the flag of the UK is used | the flag of France is used |
Geographic coordinates | 34 59 N, 33 45 E | 21 30 S, 39 50 E |
Geography - note | British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus | the islands emerge from a circular reef that sits atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano |
Industries | none | - |
Irrigated land | - | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: NA | 0 km |
Land use | - | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all rock) (2001) |
Languages | English, Greek | - |
Legal system | the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
Location | on the southeast coast of Cyprus near Famagusta | Southern Africa, islands in the southern Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique |
Map references | Middle East | Africa |
Maritime claims | - | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway | defense is the responsibility of France |
Natural hazards | - | maritime hazard since it is usually under water during high tide and surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones |
Natural resources | - | none |
Population | no indigenous personnel
note: approximately 2,200 resident military personnel; there are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military personnel or civilian staff on both the bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base but do not live there |
uninhabited (July 2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | none; offshore anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM NA, FM 1 (located in Akrotiri), shortwave NA (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia) (2006) | - |
Terrain | - | volcanic rock |